Dec 28, 2023·edited Dec 28, 2023Liked by Wayne Hsiung
Wayne you have put words to a concept that has been milling around in my mind since occupy. It was occupy that lead me to go vegan and lead me to become an activist for all beings. Thank you for your clarity and wordsmithing brilliance. And especially thank you for being so apt at explaining the analogies. I have had a jenga set standing in my living room for nearly 2 years .... until I had to put it away to market my apartment which is simply no longer affordable in NYC. Irony ...right?
Wayne you're speaking my language applying physics, laws of thermodynamics in particular, to social systems. I tend to do that with economics and ecological issues as well. There are many current examples of these points of vulnerability in the anima ag sector: avian Influenza, child labor abuses, worker issues, climate change contributions, and so on. These examples represent jenga pieces that have already been pulled. Any good battle strategy will exploit existing system weakness. In addition, as you've pointed out, natural laws will also exploit those weaknesses. The law of entropy is quite simple at its core: heat (not hot air) flows towards cold until equilibrium is reached. It's about systems equilibrating, or revving a point of balance. It's what the entire universe is doing. Animal suffering caused by humans has created a massive imbalance that will by default be seeking to equilibrate. And we can (and must) take advantage of that Even pro fighters know that you create (or identify) a weakness in the opponent and then keep attacking it. So let's take Avian Influenza and figure out how to use the momentum of that existing weakness to jiggle the system and
and accelerate its collapse. Yes, the government will backfill the space that's created through subsidies and reimbursement. But I'm willing to bet that eyebrows are starting to raise about just how much longer they can keep the house standing by injecting wood epoxy into the rotting piers of the foundation. At some point it becomes an unsustainable endeavor. How can we exploit this weakness, or utilize the existing momentum, to accelerate the collapse? And to be clear, I am not suggesting anything physical or biological as a solution. I'm suggesting information- based targeted solutions. The Avian Influenza crisis in the industry is like the iceberg that the ship ran into, except in this case the ship created the iceberg. In order to stay afloat they try to bail the water as fast as, or faster than the ship takes it on. To take advantage of this weakness we could either A) widen the hole where the water is coming in or B) reduce the ability to bail. Since the bail (out) comes from the government which has been infiltrated by industry players, widening the hole seems like the path of least resistance. But what does that actually look like in terms of actions we can take? Again. Not physical. I'm being metaphorical. We could also talk about child labor in the same way. Can we get a think tank going? Public messaging is always at the top of my mental list, but funding is the challenge to be overcome.
Dec 28, 2023·edited Dec 28, 2023Liked by Wayne Hsiung
Always good to hear sound reasoning to hold onto hope. This is a brilliant piece, if not your most brilliant Wayne, though, how does one choose? :)
Though I wonder, and also cry tears, about why these themes ... these playbooks ... of cruel authoritarianism keep recurring. And the suffering and the struggling never ends. Why do we never learn from our mistakes and when will it end?
I see the process of "jiggling" as also "chipping away".
Who knew that thermodynamics and the mechanics of social change could converge so felicitously?
Through the skillful means of pulling seemingly disparate ideas together into a comprehensible whole, you have again demonstrated that teaching is a gift, and you are a brilliant teacher, Wayne.
This is a brilliant piece of writing. I’m going to re read it to fully understand it. But I can see the cracks in the systems very clearly. The American empire is in process of teetering and a course correction must occur. Or do unjust systems have to fall before real changes that affect us all can happen?
Wow! What a powerful action! And I believe things have changed a lot, especially over the past ten years or so. In my experience as a vegan of forty years, it's so much easier now than it was before.
I see a major societal jiggle happening with the violence taking place in Gaza, and I hope we can help it to jiggle in the right direction, the direction of more peace, equality and thriving in the world.
A rather long article ,but I read it. I like animals more than humans because experience with humans has taught me so. I don't support some of the social groups you mention because I don't agree with their methods ,premises and ...... none have animal welfare /veganism or position on speciesism in their tenets. Please prove me wrong.
Dec 31, 2023·edited Dec 31, 2023Liked by Wayne Hsiung
It is worth noting that the complete disregard for animals and their rights today is actually new in human culture and society. Really, it's an aberration and not reflective of how most people have thought in most of history, and although it surprised me to learn, it's not too surprising after some thought, since after all, *we* are animals and it's bizarre and unnatural to think of other animals the way so many do today. In the 17th century, it was Rene "I think, therefore I am" Descartes to popularly introduce the idea that animals are unthinking automatons not worthy of rights or respect.
Contrast this with the European Middle Ages (and I'm sure other parts of the world I'm less knowledgeable on in this area to point out), where before such thinkers as Descartes, animals had rights to the degree one might try to go announce to a plague of locusts that it is charged with a crime and has been summoned to attend court. If the animal did not show up, they would sometimes even see it as their own failure and assign them a better lawyer!
As ridiculous and funny as that way of thinking is—in my view, humans have a sacred duty to be the guardians of life and of the well-being of other animals, which does not include expecting them to get some manners and show up to court—I can't help but feel we went way off course from that well-intentioned, naïve and innocent ignorance. And speaking of entropy, if one looks at human history and how we thought in the past, the more likely state—the human default—is certainly for us to respect other animals and nature.
Way over my head! I had to skim much of it, but the conclusion is good. What stood out, however, was a grammatical error! It’s not correct to say, “for you and I.” It should be, “for you and me.”
Thanks so much for sharing this! I've been following your posts with interests for a while now. I found the idea of a connection between the Second Law of Thermodynamics (which I've always found very depressing as a concept) and the possibility of social justice, including for animals, to be fascinating and very inspiring!
Wow...Connecting the dots on all levels of existence. Brings me back to this quote:
As long as man continues to be the ruthless destroyer of lower living beings he will never know health or peace. For as long as men massacre animals, they will kill each other.
Wayne you have put words to a concept that has been milling around in my mind since occupy. It was occupy that lead me to go vegan and lead me to become an activist for all beings. Thank you for your clarity and wordsmithing brilliance. And especially thank you for being so apt at explaining the analogies. I have had a jenga set standing in my living room for nearly 2 years .... until I had to put it away to market my apartment which is simply no longer affordable in NYC. Irony ...right?
Wayne you're speaking my language applying physics, laws of thermodynamics in particular, to social systems. I tend to do that with economics and ecological issues as well. There are many current examples of these points of vulnerability in the anima ag sector: avian Influenza, child labor abuses, worker issues, climate change contributions, and so on. These examples represent jenga pieces that have already been pulled. Any good battle strategy will exploit existing system weakness. In addition, as you've pointed out, natural laws will also exploit those weaknesses. The law of entropy is quite simple at its core: heat (not hot air) flows towards cold until equilibrium is reached. It's about systems equilibrating, or revving a point of balance. It's what the entire universe is doing. Animal suffering caused by humans has created a massive imbalance that will by default be seeking to equilibrate. And we can (and must) take advantage of that Even pro fighters know that you create (or identify) a weakness in the opponent and then keep attacking it. So let's take Avian Influenza and figure out how to use the momentum of that existing weakness to jiggle the system and
and accelerate its collapse. Yes, the government will backfill the space that's created through subsidies and reimbursement. But I'm willing to bet that eyebrows are starting to raise about just how much longer they can keep the house standing by injecting wood epoxy into the rotting piers of the foundation. At some point it becomes an unsustainable endeavor. How can we exploit this weakness, or utilize the existing momentum, to accelerate the collapse? And to be clear, I am not suggesting anything physical or biological as a solution. I'm suggesting information- based targeted solutions. The Avian Influenza crisis in the industry is like the iceberg that the ship ran into, except in this case the ship created the iceberg. In order to stay afloat they try to bail the water as fast as, or faster than the ship takes it on. To take advantage of this weakness we could either A) widen the hole where the water is coming in or B) reduce the ability to bail. Since the bail (out) comes from the government which has been infiltrated by industry players, widening the hole seems like the path of least resistance. But what does that actually look like in terms of actions we can take? Again. Not physical. I'm being metaphorical. We could also talk about child labor in the same way. Can we get a think tank going? Public messaging is always at the top of my mental list, but funding is the challenge to be overcome.
Always good to hear sound reasoning to hold onto hope. This is a brilliant piece, if not your most brilliant Wayne, though, how does one choose? :)
Though I wonder, and also cry tears, about why these themes ... these playbooks ... of cruel authoritarianism keep recurring. And the suffering and the struggling never ends. Why do we never learn from our mistakes and when will it end?
I see the process of "jiggling" as also "chipping away".
Who knew that thermodynamics and the mechanics of social change could converge so felicitously?
Through the skillful means of pulling seemingly disparate ideas together into a comprehensible whole, you have again demonstrated that teaching is a gift, and you are a brilliant teacher, Wayne.
This is a brilliant piece of writing. I’m going to re read it to fully understand it. But I can see the cracks in the systems very clearly. The American empire is in process of teetering and a course correction must occur. Or do unjust systems have to fall before real changes that affect us all can happen?
Wow! What a powerful action! And I believe things have changed a lot, especially over the past ten years or so. In my experience as a vegan of forty years, it's so much easier now than it was before.
I see a major societal jiggle happening with the violence taking place in Gaza, and I hope we can help it to jiggle in the right direction, the direction of more peace, equality and thriving in the world.
Brian Greene went vegetarian at nine years old and has been vegan since 1997.
I wish you'd write about the affect the Supreme Court ruling upholding Proposition 12 has on the movement.
A rather long article ,but I read it. I like animals more than humans because experience with humans has taught me so. I don't support some of the social groups you mention because I don't agree with their methods ,premises and ...... none have animal welfare /veganism or position on speciesism in their tenets. Please prove me wrong.
It is worth noting that the complete disregard for animals and their rights today is actually new in human culture and society. Really, it's an aberration and not reflective of how most people have thought in most of history, and although it surprised me to learn, it's not too surprising after some thought, since after all, *we* are animals and it's bizarre and unnatural to think of other animals the way so many do today. In the 17th century, it was Rene "I think, therefore I am" Descartes to popularly introduce the idea that animals are unthinking automatons not worthy of rights or respect.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_animal_rights
Contrast this with the European Middle Ages (and I'm sure other parts of the world I'm less knowledgeable on in this area to point out), where before such thinkers as Descartes, animals had rights to the degree one might try to go announce to a plague of locusts that it is charged with a crime and has been summoned to attend court. If the animal did not show up, they would sometimes even see it as their own failure and assign them a better lawyer!
https://daily.jstor.org/when-societies-put-animals-on-trial/
As ridiculous and funny as that way of thinking is—in my view, humans have a sacred duty to be the guardians of life and of the well-being of other animals, which does not include expecting them to get some manners and show up to court—I can't help but feel we went way off course from that well-intentioned, naïve and innocent ignorance. And speaking of entropy, if one looks at human history and how we thought in the past, the more likely state—the human default—is certainly for us to respect other animals and nature.
it's natural brilliance. thanks.
Really interesting, as always. I just wish every instance of the word "equality" was replaced with the word "equity".
What a thought-provoking article. Each one of your blogs expands my thinking about animal rescue and beyond. Thank you, Wayne!
Way over my head! I had to skim much of it, but the conclusion is good. What stood out, however, was a grammatical error! It’s not correct to say, “for you and I.” It should be, “for you and me.”
Thanks so much for sharing this! I've been following your posts with interests for a while now. I found the idea of a connection between the Second Law of Thermodynamics (which I've always found very depressing as a concept) and the possibility of social justice, including for animals, to be fascinating and very inspiring!
Wow...Connecting the dots on all levels of existence. Brings me back to this quote:
As long as man continues to be the ruthless destroyer of lower living beings he will never know health or peace. For as long as men massacre animals, they will kill each other.
Pythagoras